According to the geography of Meghalaya, it is located in between Bangladesh in the south and the Brahmaputra valley in the north, in the north-eastern portion of India. The area of Meghalaya is 22,429 square kms. It has a total population of 1,774,778.
Meghalaya is geographically termed the Shillong Plateau or the Meghalaya Plateau. An important aspect of the geography in Meghalaya is its rock formations-some of which are the oldest. Meghalaya includes the Khasi, the Garo, the Jaintia hills and the Assam ranges at its border. Meghalaya represents the extension of peninsular India towards the north-east. The height of the dissected Meghalaya Plateau is 150 meters - 1961 meters above sea level.
The height and physical features greatly influence its climate, a major aspect of Meghalaya geography. The four major seasons of the state of Meghalaya are: the winter season (December - February), the rainy season (May - early October), the summer season (March - April) and again the cold season (early October - November).
The geography at Meghalaya also tells that it has diverse natural vegetation - the Garo hills tropical mixed forests to the high-altitude pine forests. Unplanned cutting and grazing has destroyed the natural vegetation of the place. Some forests are totally destroyed, while some other inaccessible ones are unaffected. Pine, sal, bamboo, etc are rampant in the region. The major crops are rice, potato, pineapple, maize, banana, etc. The subtropical forests of the region have birds, mammals and plants. The tiger has probably entered India through this region.
Location
Meghalaya lies in the north eastern region of the country. The state comprises of mountainous plateau. It has a length of about 300 kilometers from east to west and a width of 100 kilometers. The total land area of Meghalaya is around 22429 square kilometers. The location of Meghalaya in the north east makes it a perfect place for retreating.
Meghalaya Location:
The altitude of the Meghalaya ranges from 150 meters to 1961 meters, the Khasi Hills having the highest. They are followed by Jaintia Hills in the east. Garo Hills are basically plain with the highest peak i.e., Nokrek Peak having an elevation of 1515 meters. Megh means clouds and so Meghalaya means home of the clouds.
Another fact about Meghalaya location is that it shares the boundary with Bangladesh in the south and Assam in the north. The whole state has been divided into seven districts namely Jaintia Hills, South Garo Hills, East Garo hills, West Khasi hills, Ri-Bhoi, East Khasi hills and West Garo Hills.
Minerals
The wealth of a country or state is counted on the the collection of the minerals that it contains. Meghalaya is a state of the north eastern region which is blessed with natural resources. It is known as the queen of hills and is also recognized as a treasurer of many valuable minerals.
The Meghalaya minerals include the following:
- Limestone
- Coal
- Gold
- Clay and Kaolin
- Sillimanite
- Phospherite
- Granite
- Uranium
- Iron-ores
- Gypsum
- Glass-sand
- Quartz and Feldspar
- Base Metal
Population
Meghalaya population is around 23,06,069 with about 85 % of them being the tribals. The percentage might increase or decrease in some places in Meghalaya but the average percentage of population comprising the tribals is around 85%. The remaining 15% i.e., the non-tribal population at Meghalaya comprise of Bengalis and Sheikhs.
Khasis form the majority of the population in Meghalaya. They are followed by Garos. Other local tribes which might not be too prominent but constitute the population in Meghalaya are Jaintias, Koch, Hajong, Dimasa, Hmar, Mikir, Lakhar, Kuki, Rabha, etc.
The population of Meghalaya is not evenly distributed around the state. Shillong in Meghalaya comprises of majority of population in the state. Other places in Meghalaya where population is not scarce in comparison to the Jaintia hills, interiors of Garo hills and the northern and southern regions of Khasi hills are Tura, Baghmara, Nongstoin, Jowai, Williamnagar, Dawki, Cherrapunji and the north, west and south edges of Garo Hills.
As per the census of 2001, the total population around Meghalaya consisted of 28.66 % males and 31.27% females. The sex ratio between male and female was 1000:975. The growth rate of Meghalaya population is 29.94%. The literacy rate of population in Meghalaya is 63.31%.
Topography
Meghalaya state is geographically termed the Shillong Plateau or the Meghalaya Plateau. Meghalaya topography has many oldest formations of rock. The state includes the Assam ranges, the Khasi, the Garo and the Jaintia hills. The peninsular India extends towards the north-east as the Meghalaya Plateau. A portion of the state is covered by alluvium, which is brought down by the river system of Ganga and Brahmaputra. The gap is named Malda gap.
The height of the dissected Meghalaya Plateau lies between 150 meters and 1961 meters above sea level. The topography of Meghalaya Plateau shows irregular terrain in the northern and the western portions. Its southern part exhibits steep slopes.
The western part of Meghalaya plateau is as high as 600 meter above sea level. The major aspect of the Meghalaya topography of this region is the Tura range. Its highest tip is 1515 meters above sea level at Nokrek.
The eastern and central parts of Meghalaya plateau, that is, the Jaintia hills and the Khasi districts have river valleys, peneplains and hills with flat tops. The major feature of this region is the region of the central upland. One-third of the total area of the region to the east of the Garo hills is covered by this feature. The highest point of this region as well as the whole of Meghalaya state is the the Shillong peak, which has a height of around 1965 meter above sea level.
Meghalaya soil conservation policy is based on the National Land Use Policy in which land has been described as a mix of soil, water, flora and fauna. As per the policy, the main aim of soil conservation in Meghalaya is to develop and maintain the productivity of the land for agricultural purpose as well as for the management of forest.
The other aims behind soil conservation at Meghalaya is to :
Hence to raise awareness for soil conservation around Meghalaya, the state government has set up a Soil and Water Conservation Department that looks after soil conservation in Meghalaya.
Last Updated on 11 March 2013
